1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contact structure for connecting to a blade connector.
2. Background of the Prior Art
There are known various contact structures which use a pair of generally opposed members to contact an intermediate member. For example, a terminal for receiving a bulb has an opposing pair of spaced contact springs. The bulb contacts are placed between the contact springs so they are deflected and hold the bulb in place. As another example, terminals for attaching to blade connectors are also known. It is known to have parallel opposing walls which at their leading edge are coupled to inner spring members which are bent inside toward each other. The inner spring is spaced from the outer walls and foreign material can enter in the intermediate space. Also, the construction requires a relatively large terminal to accommodate the bend toward the inner spring member.
It would be desirable to have smaller terminals which are rigidly reinforced. Reinforcing is desirable to make the terminal more resistant to accidental abuse during manufacturing. Sometimes, when the terminal is being connected to a long wire, it is laid on the floor and stepped on by a worker. It would be advantageous that terminals subjected to such crushing forces provide a good connection. These are some of the problems this invention overcomes.